“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few
times since then.” [1]
Friends, I did not know my
most trusted aide was going to write a cheque for a member’s expenses. How
could I know? I am only the leader of the party and the country. Did anybody
else know? Yes, there were reportedly at least “13 others” around me who knew,
and they all worked for me. These were my bodies of knowledge, so to speak, who
kept their knowledge from me. They all kept me in the dark; now I am trying to
shed light on this matter. I have been very clear; I did not know. How could I
know? Not knowing is not a crime. Surely
one is allowed to be ignorant of not knowing what one should know. I know there
is an e-mail that states “good to go.” But those three words are just that,
words. And words can mean anything, so what does “good to go” mean? How should
I know? People say things knowingly then don’t remember what they knowingly
said. As I have said before, I made it
very clear and my spokespersons have made it abundantly clear, I did not know.
Nobody knows everything, so why am I being
singled out for knowing nothing? Can I not be ignorant in this matter? I know
there is another e-mail that says I was told in “broad terms” by my trusted
aide, a man who is no longer in my employment. But “broad terms” can mean
anything, just like “broadly speaking.” And if you have read “Alice in Wonderland” words have been
described like this:
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a
scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor
less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so
many different things.” [2]
If that is not wisdom from a
fairytale, then what is wisdom? And as I
have said before very clearly and repeat again: I did not know; people should
know that! Too much knowledge can also be dangerous and if I had known about
all this stuff happening, I would have been very clear that it was a no-no. Did
I just make a pun with know and no? Oh well, this is what happens when
one tries to be very clear, transparent and accountable. Now you know! And if
you don’t know, I understand, because I know what it is like not to know. And I know friends, because you are my
friends, you will say after reading this, “No problem.” Thank you my friends;
it is great to know you all in this time of not knowing. There is so much
confusion in this time of accountability. Therefore, I will close with some
more pithy words of wisdom from “Alice
in Wonderland”:
“I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me
think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember
feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in
the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!” [3]
Stephen J. Gray
December 30, 2013.
Endnotes:
Article of interest at link below:
